The longer you’re at home isolating, the more it can take a toll on your health. This is especially true if you’re spending a lot of time being sedentary.
Older folks, in particular, are at a higher risk of potential damage from inactivity. The more inactive you are, the higher the chance for illness and injury you have. Muscle, strength, and endurance loss are also major concerns that can increase the chances of frailty.
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Some even suggest it could have the same effect as being bed-ridden or hospitalized for an extended period.
So, how can you increase activity in your home? It’s a lot easier than you think. Finding little ways to incorporate fitness into your day can make a massive difference in helping to maintain and strengthen muscle.
The results could be less joint pain, a healthier heart, lower risk for falls, and a healthier metabolism.
Including activity into sedentary periods is one place to start. So, when you’re chatting on the phone, walk around your home. Hit every corridor and staircase if possible and try to move through the duration of the phone call.
You can also commit to hitting laps of your home during commercial breaks of your favorite television shows. If you’re more into streaming, get up every 30-minutes for a few laps before flipping it back on.
It’s pretty easy to get sucked into a Netflix hole, so set a timer if need be.
Aerobic activity like walking and climbing the stairs can help lower blood pressure and improve heart health. But it’s also important to focus on muscle strength.
For the lower body, the squat is a terrific exercise and there are a few easy ways to do it. One is to stand up with your back against the wall. Have your feet slightly in front of you (about a foot or two from the wall) and shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and slide your back down, keeping it against the wall the entire time.
Go as far down as you can (with knees aligned with your foot) and hold it. Slowly slide back up the wall and repeat.
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Another way to include squats into your day is to do a few every time you get up from a seated position. So, sit/stand a few times before moving on to your task.
For your upper body, you can do some counter-pushups whenever you walk into the kitchen (place hands on the counter’s edge and perform standing pushups). You can also use soup cans/water bottles to perform arm curls. Those items can also be pressed over the head to activate your shoulders.
Short bursts of activity meshed into your day can help you stay strong and healthy at home. Take advantage of this time to boost your activity levels.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
